Method of securing a valve seat member within a tubular housing and a ball valve assembly

Abstract

A method of securing a valve seat member for a ball valve within a tubular housing. Firstly, provide an annular valve seat member and a tubular valve housing. The annular valve seat member has a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface. One of the first face and the second face of the annular valve seat member has an arcuate valve seat. The tubular valve housing has an interior surface defining an interior bore. Secondly, position an annular groove in the interior surface of the annular valve seat member and an annular groove in the interior surface of the tubular valve housing. Thirdly, lock the annular valve seat member to the interior surface of the tubular valve housing with a split ring having an exterior surface with a first annular tongue that engage the annular groove of the annular valve seat member and a second annular tongue that engages the annular groove in the interior surface of the tubular valve housing.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A method of securing a valve seat member for a ball valve within a tubular housing, comprising the steps of: firstly, providing an annular valve seat member having a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface, one of the first face and the second face of the annular valve seat member having an arcuate valve seat; and a tubular valve housing having an interior surface defining an interior bore;   secondly, positioning female mating means in the interior surface of the annular valve seat member and female mating means in the interior surface of the tubular valve housing; and   thirdly, locking the annular valve seat member to the interior surface of the tubular valve housing with a split ring having an exterior surface with first male mating means that engage the female mating means of the annular valve seat member and second male mating means that engages the second female mating means in the interior surface of the tubular valve housing.   
     
     
       2. The method as defined in claim 1, having annular grooves serve as the female mating means. 
     
     
       3. The method as defined in claim 1, having annular tongues serve as the male mating means. 
     
     
       4. A ball valve assembly, comprising: a tubular valve housing having a first end, a second end, an interior surface defining an interior bore, a shoulder that projects from the interior surface into the interior bore, and female mating means in the interior surface spaced from the shoulder;   a first valve seat member having a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface, the second face having a first arcuate valve seat, the first valve seat member being disposed within the interior bore and engaging the shoulder projecting from the interior surface of the tubular valve housing thereby precluding movement of the first valve seat member along the interior bore in a first axial direction toward the first end of the tubular valve housing, the first arcuate valve seat being oriented toward the second end of the tubular valve housing;   a ball having an aperture extending therethrough engaging the first arcuate valve seat;   a second valve seat member having a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface, the first face of the second valve seat member having a second arcuate valve seat, the interior surface of the second valve seat member having female mating means;   a split ring having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the exterior surface having first male mating means that engage the female mating means of the second annular member and second male mating means that engage the female mating means in the interior surface of the tubular valve housing;   means for locking the split ring in position; and   means for rotating the ball.   
     
     
       5. A ball valve assembly, comprising: a tubular valve housing having a first end, a second end, an interior surface defining an interior bore, a shoulder that projects from the interior surface into the interior bore, and a annular groove in the interior surface spaced from the shoulder;   a first valve seat member having a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface, the second face having a first arcuate valve seat, the first valve seat member being disposed within the interior bore, the first valve seat member having a projecting shoulder that engages the shoulder projecting from the interior surface of the tubular valve housing thereby precluding movement of the first valve seat member along the interior bore in a first axial direction toward the first end of the tubular valve housing, the first arcuate valve seat being oriented toward the second end of the tubular valve housing;   a ball having an aperture extending therethrough engaging the first arcuate valve seat;   a second valve seat member having a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface, the first face of the second valve seat member having a second arcuate valve seat, the interior surface of the second valve seat member having an annular groove;   a split ring having a plurality of arcuate segments, the split ring having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the exterior surface having a first annular tongue that engages the annular groove of the second annular member and a second annular tongue that engages the annular groove in the interior surface of the tubular valve housing;   means for locking the split ring in position; and   means for rotating the ball.   
     
     
       6. The ball valve assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the interior surface has an enlarged diameter portion, a shoulder being formed where the enlarged diameter of the interior surface terminates, an annular groove being positioned in the enlarged diameter portion spaced from the shoulder; an annular locking ring being positioned in the enlarged diameter portion, the annular locking ring engaging the interior surface of the split ring to prevent removal of the arcuate segments; a spiral wound retaining ring being positioned in the annular groove in the enlarged diameter portion to prevent removal of the locking ring. 
     
     
       7. A dual ball valve assembly, comprising: a tubular valve housing having a first end, a second end, an interior surface defining an interior bore, a first shoulder that projects from the interior surface into the interior bore spaced from the first end, a second shoulder that projects from the interior surface into the interior bore spaced from the second end, first female mating means in the interior surface spaced from the first shoulder toward the first end and second female mating means in the interior surface spaced from the second shoulder toward the second end;   a first valve seat member having a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface, the second face having a first arcuate valve seat, the first valve seat member being disposed within the interior bore and engaging the second shoulder projecting from the interior surface of the tubular valve housing thereby precluding movement of the first valve seat member along the interior bore in a first axial direction toward the first end of the tubular valve housing, the first arcuate valve seat being oriented toward the second end of the tubular valve housing;   a first ball having an aperture extending therethrough engaging the first arcuate valve seat;   a second valve seat member having a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface, the first face of the second valve seat member having a second arcuate valve seat, the interior surface of the second valve seat member having female mating means;   a first split ring having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the exterior surface having first male mating means that engage the female mating means of the second valve seat member and second male mating means that engage the second female mating means in the interior surface of the tubular valve housing;   means for locking the first split ring in position; and   means for rotating the first ball;   a third valve seat member having a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface, the second face having a third arcuate valve seat, the third valve seat member being disposed within the interior bore and engaging the first shoulder projecting from the interior surface of the tubular valve housing thereby precluding movement of the third valve seat member along the interior bore in a second axial direction toward the second end of the tubular valve housing, the third arcuate valve seat being oriented toward the first end of the tubular valve housing;   a second ball having an aperture extending therethrough engaging the third arcuate valve seat;   a fourth valve seat member having a first face, a second face, an interior surface and an exterior surface, the first face of the fourth valve seat member having a fourth arcuate valve seat, the interior surface of the fourth valve seat member having female mating means;   a second split ring having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the exterior surface having first male mating means that engage the female mating means of the fourth valve seat member and second male mating means that engage the first female mating means in the interior surface of the tubular valve housing;   means for locking the second split ring in position; and   means for rotating the second ball.   
     
     
       8. A ball valve and seat assembly comprising: a ball valve body having a hollow bore;   a ball valve rotatably mounted within the hollow bore;   first and second valve seats disposed within the valve body on opposed sides of the ball valve, the ball valve being rotatably seated on the valve seats;   the first valve seat being secured against movement in a first axial direction along the bore of the valve body;   the second valve seat including an interior annular groove;   a valve body annular grove in the valve body adjacent the second valve seat; and   a split ring having first and second annular ribs, the first annular rib mating with the interior annular groove and the second annular rib mating with the valve body annular groove.